Christmas is Day +8

This was a very good Christmas. I met with the doctors early in the morning, and they gave me the best news of the day. They believe the donor cells have engrafted!!!

Over the last 3 blood draws, my white blood cell count has gone from .043, to .107, to .123. My neutrophil count also jumped from .06 to .034. Since the average range of healthy white blood cells is 3.3-8.7, I am still a while away from sitting pretty. However, every step in the right direction is something to give Thanks for.

My platelets this morning were down to 5, their lowest yet. They only bumped up to 12 after receiving another tranfusion this morning. Seeing the platelets rise without the need for more transfusions is the next thing for me to keep my eye on, but the white blood cells are the most important.

Since this is Day +8, my engraftment came pretty early. The lead doctor told us before beginning the study that the earliest they've seen is Day +7, day +8 is rare, but most occur between Days +9 and +12. The earliest I've heard of people leaving the hospital after this procedure is Day +14, which would be New Years Eve. Since I had to come into the hospital with a neutropenic fever last year on January 31st, I think it would be fitting if my discharge date after transplant would be exactly one year later.

After me platelet tranfusion, I had a great visit with my family. Kate brought Isaiah, her sister Jen, and her parents in around 11:00, and we were able to make the Christmas Mass held in NIH's chapel. After Mass, my parents came along with Mary, Mya, Reed, Matt, and Tim. We had lunch in the activity room down the hall, and had a big gift giving session. I was overwhelmed by the amount of gifts everybody gave to each other, and Kate told me it was nothing compared to what Isaiah got to open up at home. I don't know how our small house is going to fit all of these new things, but I'm glad there was such joy amongst everybody today. I remember feeling disappointed last year that Kate and I only had several presents for Isaiah under the tree. Anybody who knows me well knows I'm not materialistic, but the joy it brought to his face to open each present was the best feeling in the world. I missed out on some of that this Christmas, but my hope is that cancer never gets in the way of any future Christmases or holidays again.
Thanks to everybody who shared their Christmas wishes and stories on the guestbook. I hope everybody who I'm sharing with had an amazing Christmas with their families as well.